Maximize your medicine cabinet with these tips for storing everything you need at hand.
Jessica Bennett is an editor, writer, and former digital assistant home editor at BHG. Sliver Mirror
A medicine cabinet provides a convenient place to stash daily-use items such as toothpaste, skincare products, cosmetics, shaving supplies, and more. Use these medicine cabinet storage ideas to keep all these small items organized and improve function within the cabinet. Use these handy tips to transform your medicine cabinet and make it work more efficiently.
Add storage to an overlooked surface by mounting a magnetic memo board to the bathroom storage cabinet door. Slim magnetic containers hold personal-care items but still allow the door to shut completely. Utilize magnetic hooks to store small tools, or attach magnets directly to the bottom of items like lip balms so they'll stick directly to the door's surface.
Megan Chaffin and Werner Straube
When multiple hands are in and out, adding labels is a smart medicine cabinet storage idea to keep things organized. Labeling should be a breeze if your toiletries and cosmetics are already sorted by category.
Once hair and skin care products, dental supplies, and other items are placed in their respective spots on the shelves, add a small strip of label tape for each category. If everything is contained inside organizers, attach the label to the containers. Or if the items are loose and the shelf has room, adhere the label strip to the front. This type of label generally peels off easily, so even if you decide to rearrange the cabinet in the future, it won’t be hard to switch up the tags.
While it’s necessary to use medicine cabinet organization ideas to keep things uncluttered, staying on top of your routines is equally essential, especially if you’re trying to build better habits for yourself or your family. Adhere a dry-erase board to the inside of the cabinet door (check to ensure it will close correctly) and keep a marker within reach. Use the dry-erase board to make a note when you run out of something like contact lenses or electric toothbrush heads. Keep track of when you or your children take medicine or supplements, especially when they’re new. Or write a (gentle) reminder to the kids to brush their teeth or wash their hands for a certain length of time.
While you might choose to store nail polish or eyeshadow palettes in the medicine cabinet, you may not always choose to do your nails or makeup in the bathroom. Make it easy to take beauty supplies with you wherever you want by using a portable caddy. A small, divided container is an efficient medicine cabinet organization idea for polish bottles, cuticle oil, and nail files, making it simple to take them in and out of the cabinet when you want a manicure. Once you’re done, stash it back on the shelf.
A narrow caddy can also store bandages, antiseptic wipes, and gauze pads, then carry them by a handle to tend to a scraped knee wherever it happens.
"Decanting" refers to pouring wine from its bottle into a pretty carafe. But in the world of home organization, the term can be used for anything that can be taken from its original packaging and placed into a more aesthetically pleasing container. Everything from spices to pasta gets decanted into pretty glass jars in the kitchen. You can do the same in the bathroom.
Add makeup sponges, cotton rounds or swabs, and floss picks to clear jars or open divided containers. Place them on the lower shelf of the medicine cabinet for easy reach on busy mornings and tired evenings. This also allows you to see when it's time to replace your supplies. If the package's contents don't all fit in the container, put the bag or box with what's left in a nearby linen closet for a quick refill.
A multi-user medicine cabinet isn't doomed to be disorganized. Sort most items into categories, specifically the ones that are used communally. Then, designate a spot for the items used by each person. Tall, open jars can store the specific toothbrush, floss, and toothpaste tube for you, your partner, or the kids.
Consider the height and depth of your medicine cabinet when planning storage for each person. For example, taller people can use the second shelf, freeing up the bottom for smaller family members. If your medicine cabinet has more than one section, assign one per person. Or, if you have a trapdoor cabinet, use one door for yourself, one for your spouse, and the third for the items you share.
Contain multiple small items in see-through containers for a medicine cabinet organization idea that keeps contents in view. For example, these clear canisters with lids don't take up much space but make finding hair accessories a cinch. Seeing what belongs in each container makes keeping things in the right spot easier.
Don't forget about utilizing the underside of medicine cabinet shelves. Install simple stick-on hooks to hang headbands, necklaces, or bracelets so they're always close at hand. Place these hooks near the sides of the cabinet so hanging items won't be in the way.
A jumble of tiny miscellaneous items can turn your medicine cabinet into chaos. Control small bits such as bobby pins, barrettes, and cotton swabs with right-sized containers. Choose lidded storage or containers that don't tip easily so you don't accidentally knock a container over and send things flying.
Risers enable you to store twice as much in the same amount of space. Acrylic risers boost organization without blocking views. Mini jars and containers are great for storing smaller items such as ear swabs, barrettes, nail clippers, dental flossers, and hair elastics.
Group together all the items within a care category, designating areas for skin, hair, teeth, and first aid needs. This medicine cabinet organization idea will keep you from hunting for toothpaste, floss, and mouthwash each morning because they'll all be in the same spot. Sort items into matching containers, such as white ceramic cups or clear acrylic tumblers, to instantly make shelves look neat. For added style, paper the back of the cabinet with peel-and-stick wallpaper or shelf liner.
Vintage Gold Mirror Base your medicine cabinet organization ideas on your personal needs with easy access to the items you often use. Here, the lower shelves hold shaving gear and products used daily, while the upper shelves stow health aids. Clear acrylic organizers group similar-size items.